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The world’s top service oriented Spa’s revealed: Maldives wins again

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One&Only Reethi Rah

Maldives Promotion House – The annual announcement of the World Luxury Spa Awards winners marks the highlight of a year-long search for the very best spas on the global front. Maldives offers number of world class spas and spas from Maldives were among the winners at this year’s awards.

  • One&Only Spa by ESPA Reethi Rah          Best Luxury Wellness Spa – World
  • Talise Spa at Jumeirah Dhevanafushi         Best Luxury Emerging Spa – Indian Ocean
  • Coco Spa Maldives                                        Best Luxury Fitness Spa – Indian Ocean
  • Araamu Spa Maldives                                    Best Luxury Wellness Spa – Indian Ocean
  • One&Only Spa by ESPA Reethi Rah           Best Luxury Beauty Spa – Indian Ocean
  • Six Senses Spa Laamu, Maldives                Best Luxury Emerging Spa – Maldives
  • Six Senses Spa Laamu, Maldives                Best Luxury Destination Spa – Maldives
  • Six Senses Spa Laamu, Maldives                Best Luxury Resort Spa – Maldives
  • Angsana Spa Velavaru Maldives                  Best Luxury Beauty Spa – Maldives

The World Luxury Spa Awards commends and recognise outstanding achievements in service excellence, giving thanks to spas that have excelled. The World Luxury Spa Awards programme reward those spas that have raised the bar of service excellence within a highly competitive industry over the past year. The World Luxury Spa Awards congratulate unsurpassed service excellence and put the spotlight on those spas representing only the finest standards.

The categories awarded in the 2013 World Luxury Spa Awards included Best Luxury Hotel Spa, Best Luxury Mineral Spring Spa, Best Luxury Safari Spa, Best Luxury Emerging Spa, Best Luxury Fitness Spa, Best Luxury Destination Spa, Best Luxury Wellness Spa, Best Luxury Resort Spa, Best Luxury Spa Group, Best Luxury Day Spa, Best Luxury Beauty Spa, Best Luxury Boutique Spa and Best Luxury Medical Spa.

“2012 has been a very interesting year for the spa industry, with many new spa additions and the level of competition where exceptional evident from the calibre of spas being nominated,” says Marinique de Wet, Executive Manager of the World Luxury Spa Awards. “We’ve never received so many nomination entries like we did this year, and it has been a truly thrilling experience to see who eventually came out on top!”

Open to luxury spas in the respective categories, the World Luxury Spa Awards™ are recognized and respected on the global front by the public and media at large and are universally acknowledged as the world’s leading awards initiative for luxury spas. France24 is the proud media partner to the World Luxury Spa Awards.

The winners and finalists were selected by means of an annual voting process where thousands of spa guests worldwide have been given the opportunity to vote online in order to have the fairest judging process possible. Competing spas in 2013 included small sized privately owned spas to globally renowned spa groups.

Official voting closed on the 18th of March and the response and comments from voters were phenomenal. Thousands of votes & feedback came in from across the globe and as a result key brands and independent spas were rewarded for their extraordinary efforts. Award winning spas are announced on a country, continent and global basis.They stood up to the highest expectations and where tested by discerning spa-goers looking for the ultimate experience where only the absolute best is acceptable.

Marinique de Wet, Executive Manager, World Luxury Spa Awards™ said: “The World Luxury Spa Awards™ is the highest accolade a spa can ever hope to receive. For participants the World Luxury Spa Awards™ challenge service excellence and highlight the importance of constant improvement. The Award truly puts the Award winning spas ahead of their peers from a marketing perspective. In addition to the honour, prestige and global exposure of winning a World Luxury Spa Award, winners share in fantastic marketing benefits including online profiles and marketing guides that further build staff moral and maintain credibility.

“Consumers are increasingly using the list of winners and finalists as a reliable guide and means of reassurance when choosing their next spa destination evident from increasing visits to the Awards website”, says de Wet.

“In these tough economic times our spas and wellness retreats have shown their anticipation to succeed and have come out even stronger than before. The World Luxury Spa Awards are there to recognise the very best of the best and raise the bar of service excellence even higher than before”, says Mrs Marinique de Wet. “We are delighted that the Spa Awards has become such an important highlight on the spa industry calendar and we are looking forward to an exciting 2014 registration year ahead”.

Recipients of this prestigious accolade see challenges as opportunities and stay ahead with strategic changes allowing facilities and service to stay on par with global trends. We congratulate all our winners further to this outstanding achievement.”

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Four Seasons Maldives combines celebrations with conservation, wellness and private dining

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Four Seasons has highlighted its Maldives properties as destinations for personalised celebrations and private gatherings, offering experiences ranging from exclusive island buyouts and weddings to family reunions, corporate retreats and conservation-led activities.

The Maldives features prominently in a new collection of group and celebration experiences unveiled by Four Seasons Resorts of Asia, with Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa offering distinct options for couples, families and small groups.

At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru in Baa Atoll, couples can take part in Tales from a Treetop Table, a private dining experience set within the island’s canopy. The resort also offers multi-day celebrations combining private dining, marine encounters, wellbeing and conservation activities.

Its Overwater Wedding Pavilion, accessible only by boat, features a glass-bottomed aisle surrounded by the waters and marine life of the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

For larger gatherings, the resort’s four-bedroom Landaa Estate extends across 80 metres of private beach and includes a 20-metre swimming pool. Four Seasons said the estate can be used for family reunions, corporate retreats, micro-wedding receptions and milestone celebrations.

Marine conservation is also incorporated into group itineraries at Landaa Giraavaru through manta ray research, coral restoration and turtle rehabilitation programmes. Guests can participate in conservation activities together, while the resort’s Manta-on-Call programme alerts participants when manta rays are sighted nearby and arranges speedboat excursions for snorkelling encounters.

Nearby, Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah offers a different model centred on exclusivity. Located within the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the five-acre private island has seven rooms and can accommodate up to 30 guests.

The property hosts only one group at a time, allowing guests to create their own programme without having to work around other resort schedules. A team of 30 staff supports full-island buyouts, with experiences including personalised wellness programmes at the Ocean of Consciousness Spa, yacht excursions and private dining.

Culinary experiences can also be tailored for groups, including a Maldivian Fisherman’s Feast built around the day’s catch.

In North Malé Atoll, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa is being positioned for multigenerational gatherings and smaller groups, with the resort located around 25 minutes by speedboat from Malé.

The property brings together beaches, private villas, suites and tropical gardens within a compact island setting, while its ŪRJĀ Naturopathy Island offers wellness programmes and treatments designed around rest and restoration.

Across its Asian portfolio, Four Seasons said it is increasingly designing celebrations around personalised itineraries rather than conventional event formats. In the Maldives, this approach combines private accommodation, dining, wellbeing, marine conservation and access to the country’s natural environment.

The group said the aim is to create gatherings that allow guests to spend more time together while shaping activities around the interests and preferences of each group.

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Patina Maldives welcomes Sean Wotherspoon for ‘Respect the Reef’ collaboration

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Patina Maldives, Fari Islands is set to welcome globally acclaimed designer, artist and vintage collector Sean Wotherspoon for an exclusive collaboration that brings together fashion, art, creativity and the marine environment of the Maldives.

Running from 12 August to 12 September 2026, the collaboration will transform the Fari Artist Atelier at Patina Maldives into a space shaped by Sean’s distinctive visual language, featuring an exclusive capsule collection of original artworks, vintage finds and reworked pieces. The collaboration centers around Respect the Reef, a large-scale ceramic fish sculpture created collectively with guests and designed to eventually become part of the marine environment.

A Collaboration Rooted in the Reef

The collaboration began with a simple idea: everything comes back to respecting the reef.

During his time at Patina Maldives, Sean spent time with resident marine biologist Nihaan, exploring the reefs surrounding the Fari Islands and the conservation work already taking place at the resort. Their conversations became the starting point for a project that would bring Sean’s creative practice into conversation with Patina’s existing approach to coral restoration.

Two practices came together. Patina’s ceramic coral workshops invite guests to create ceramic pieces that are later planted underwater, while coral frames provide structures where coral can attach and grow. For the collaboration, these practices were brought together in a new form and as a part of the 3-day Fari Islands Festival. Instead of a conventional geometric frame, the structure became a large sculptural fish, covered in individually made ceramic scales which has now been submerged in the lagoon surrounding Patina Maldives, where it begins its next life as part of the reef ecosystem.

The scales also introduced something new to Patina’s ceramic coral process: colour.

While the ceramic pieces created through the resort’s regular workshops are traditionally left unglazed, Sean’s work is deeply rooted in colour. Guests were therefore invited to glaze the individual scales themselves, bringing their own combinations of colour and pattern into the sculpture.

A Creative Language of Colour

The Respect the Reef sculpture forms part of a wider collaboration that sees Sean bring his characteristic use of colour, texture and vintage-inspired storytelling to Patina Maldives. Created exclusively for the resort, the capsule collection includes apparel, accessories and a selection of one-of-one vintage.

Inspired by the colours, textures and energy of the Maldives, the collection reflects Sean’s approach to design, where familiar objects, materials and references are given a new perspective.

“I work in colour, I work in texture, I work in materials. I always say that I want people to close their eyes, feel my projects, and still be able to gain a love for them. It’s the same with vintage shopping, you should be able to do it with your eyes closed. Designs should activate multiple different senses,” he said.

Sean’s creative language also finds its way into the Fari Artist Atelier, where guests can discover the exclusive capsule alongside original artworks, vintage ephemera and curated objects from his world.

The Fari Artist Atelier, Reimagined

From 12 August to 12 September, the Fari Artist Atelier becomes a space for guests to explore Sean’s work and the ideas behind the collaboration.

The Atelier brings together fashion, art and objects, while the Respect the Reef experience extends that creative exchange beyond the gallery and into the natural environment of the Fari Islands. For Sean, the project offered an opportunity to work within a creative framework that was already part of Patina’s identity, while giving it a new form.

“I have this thing I do really well. I don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time. Even if it’s my same art direction, based on whatever the vehicle is, the designs are always going to be fresh,” he said.

At Patina Maldives, that vehicle became a fish, made from many individual pieces, painted by many different hands and ultimately returned to the reef that inspired it.

Everything Comes Back to the Reef

Lexie Rodriguez, Vice President of Lifestyle, Capella Hotel Group, says: “Transformative luxury is about creating experiences that leave something behind — in us, between us and in the places we inhabit. What I love about this collaboration is how that idea lives at every level: through Respect the Reef, Sean’s creativity became a canvas for our guests and community to contribute their own hands, colour and imagination before the work was ultimately given back to the ocean; while the collection creates a tangible memory to take home, carrying a piece of Patina and the Maldives with you. It is creativity that extends beyond the moment — continuing to evolve, create connection and leave an imprint long after you have gone.”

The collaboration forms part of Patina Maldives’ ongoing creative programme, bringing together voices from art, design, music, fashion and culture while creating opportunities for guests to engage with the island in unexpected ways.

Respect the Reef captures that approach in its simplest form. It takes a practice already embedded in life at Patina, gives it a new creative expression through Sean Wotherspoon’s world of colour, and invites guests to become part of it. As the sculpture is now in the water, the process continues without them. Coral will grow, the surface will change, and the artwork will become increasingly intertwined with the reef around it.

What starts in the hands of guests eventually belongs to the ocean.

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JOALI BEING celebrates festive season with ‘Tides of Tradition’

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This festive season, JOALI BEING invites guests to embrace the warmth of togetherness with Tides of Tradition, a joyful celebration inspired by the rhythm of the ocean and the timeless traditions that bring people together. From 22 December 2026 to 8 January 2027, the well-living island will reimagine the festive season through the Joy of Well-Living, bringing together cherished celebrations, transformative wellbeing, exceptional dining, island adventures and meaningful experiences for families.

From moments of stillness to joyful celebration, Tides of Tradition unfolds through experiences that inspire connection — with oneself, loved ones and nature — bringing together festive traditions, transformative wellbeing, culinary journeys and island celebrations.

Festive highlights include:

  • Island of Light: Festive Tree Illumination – The season begins as JOALI BEING’s festive tree comes to life beneath swaying palms, marking a radiant moment of togetherness and the start of the island’s celebrations.
  • Feast of Christmas Wonders: Christmas Eve Dinner – Loved ones gather for an elegant Christmas Eve dinner, bringing together festive favourites, JOALI BEING signatures and thoughtfully sourced ingredients in the spirit of sharing and togetherness.
  • Island Splash Pool Party – Celebrate island style at MOJO Pool with live music, refreshing cocktails, festive bites and playful poolside experiences, all set against a vibrant island atmosphere.
  • Season’s Bells: Santa’s Arrival – Santa brings a touch of festive magic to the island with a special arrival and surprises for younger guests and families.
  • A World of Magic: New Year’s Celebrations – The island welcomes 2027 with an evening of glamour, culinary artistry and live entertainment, beginning with sunset cocktails before a celebratory gala dinner, midnight countdown, fireworks and dancing beneath the stars.

As part of the festive season, JOALI BEING will welcome Visiting Practitioners offering experiences designed to support balance, vitality and renewal:

  • Breath of Life with Javier de Prado – Combining breathwork, Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and OsteoTha with mindful movement and meditation, Javier de Prado’s integrative sessions support nervous-system regulation, inner balance and deeper presence.
  • Holistic Longevity & Facial Rejuvenation with Dr Igor Roganin – Blending Traditional Chinese Medicine with advanced diagnostics, Dr Igor Roganin offers personalised therapies to support vitality, graceful ageing, long-term wellbeing and facial rejuvenation.

Throughout the season, the Joy of Well-Living unfolds through movement, mindfulness and transformative wellbeing, from meditation and hydrotherapy rituals to energising sessions and expert-led experiences. As evening falls, the rhythm shifts to music and movement with signature experiences including the Island Splash Pool Party, DJ Fit Night and Rhythm at the Gate at the iconic Gate of Zero.

Culinary experiences bring guests together through flavour, craftsmanship and connection, from intimate chef-led journeys and the five-course Chef’s Table Collection to Spirit of the Orient, Italian Essence and Japanese specialities at Yutori. Toes-in-the-sand seafood dinners at MOJO and hands-on pasta, sushi and artisan pizza masterclasses add to the season’s culinary celebrations.

The ocean and surrounding nature become part of the journey, with dolphin cruises, guided snorkelling, sunset fishing, coral planting, scuba diving and water sports offering opportunities for discovery, adventure and a deeper connection with the natural world.

At B’Kidult, younger guests and families can share experiences designed around curiosity, wellbeing and connection, from Christmas crafts, nature treasure hunts and culinary workshops to teen fitness, virtual reality and marine adventures. Families can also discover the island’s conservation work through coral planting, visits to the Sea Turtle Care Centre and experiences with the Marine Biology team.

A stay at JOALI BEING is a transformative journey where guests return home feeling lighter, happier and more energised. Villas start from USD 5,392 per night for two guests sharing an Ocean Pool Villa on a B&B basis.

For full details on the festive programme, please visit the resort’s website and discover its Festive Season Offer. For bookings and further information, please contact reservations.being@joali.com.

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